As the sun sets on yet another Memorial Day, I find myself wondering just how patriotic we really are. It strikes me as a little odd how uptight some people can get about this particular holiday. Everyone wants to wave the flag. Everyone wants to claim their military family heritage. People make it a point to be proud, verging on obnoxious and boastful, when it comes to their military ties. Then there the other 364 days of the year...
I was chastised by a "friend" this morning about referring to Memorial Day as perhaps, the unofficial "white-trash" holiday. (I feel at liberty to use the term white-trash without hesitation, as I am part Scottish-American. These are also the same type of people I spent a great deal of my life with.) The statement was meant to be an observation and had nothing at all to do with the military. It was very tongue-in-cheek, but apparently some of us lose all sense of humor once a year. I don't know, maybe the comment struck a little too close to home. This friend started going on about the fact that a family member was in the military and their father and their father's father...etc... In the two years I've know this person, I've never once discussed or been made aware of any family service to our country. This lead me to realize how part-time some people's patriotism is. It's a strange concept to me that so many only get "fired up" about their country on holidays. These are the same folks who sit by the rest of the year and have nothing of value to add to political evolution, learning, or debate. They grab their Starbucks, head to work, and plan their next major beer bash or Super Bowl party; all the while never trying to affect change that would honor the men and women of the armed forces.
The Bottom Line:
It's convenient and perhaps even a bit stylish to wear the flag on your back for major patriotic holidays, but what's the point if you do nothing the rest of the year? Though one person got all bent out of shape over my holiday observation, they failed to remember that the brave men and women fight not just for their freedom to be part-time patriots, but for my freedom to say what I wish. That's something to be proud of. Let's not forget that every day should be a Memorial Day. We should live our lives in a way that honors our brave men and women all the time, not just on Memorial Day.
